Chapter 36

KIRA:
I am pushed a little roughly by the guards, making me bump into someone in front. Only that it was not me bumping into the person but was instead grabbed.
“Thank you,” the masculine voice of the one who just grabbed me gets to my ears but I cannot look up at him, knowing it wasn’t me he was talking to but the guards.
The next minute and I am being pulled away from the area to who knows where. The man’s hand is tightened on my arm as if to prevent me from getting out of his reach. Would I even try to escape from him if the reverse was the case?
When I start feeling the impact of his hand on my arm, I have to make him realize by wincing. But it seems he doesn’t get the memo so I speak in place. “You’re hurting me.”
His grip on my arm loosens but he doesn't take his hand off me. At least this was a much better way than trying to rip my arm out of my body.
It goes on like that between us until we have entirely left the axis of where he took me from. I can only let him pull me around like I have no vital existence in me because rebuffing would only worsen the situation.
I did not expect the sudden movement of his hand away from my arm which almost causes me to lose balance because all the while I have numbed most parts of my body, using his own as a means to move freely. So it didn’t occur to me that he would suddenly withdraw from me.
I find my balance before I trip to the ground. On a regular day, I would have turned around to lash out at the man who just did this to me but I cannot this time around. So I just back him while waiting for him to probably give me the biggest scolding of my life.
“Kira, I don’t know what to do with you anymore,” he starts to say from behind me and I can only twitch my expression. “Are you not thinking or something? What the hell is wrong with you? How many times do I have to warn you to stay out of trouble? Do you think it’s funny when you keep getting yourself into problems that would have to involve me helping you out? And it’s every goddamn time this keeps happening!”
I roll my eyes, finding it funny that he is portraying me like I’m that bad of a girl which I’m not. I’ve just had bad timing and nothing more.
“Keep it low, Brad. You’re overreacting,” I say, scoffing a little bit loud.
“Wow. Just wow. You still have it in you to tell me that I’m overreacting. After saving your ass, that is all I get, right? I see,” a pause, almost giving me the chance to say something but he beats me to it. “And before you say that you never asked for my help, just know that I know. I only did it because you need it. I won’t let your naivete fuck you up. Never.”
Seems like he knows me more than I expected. Who was I kidding? He would know even more than I did if he wasn’t consumed with his work as a pack warrior. I’m sure of that, judging from his observant behavior.
I have to turn around to come in direct contact with him. It was ridiculous to keep talking to him while my back was in his direction. I had no alternative thought to that.
“Bradley, I’m sorry,” I say sincerely. “But I didn't get myself in trouble today for nothing. Trust me, this time it was worth it.”
“What would be worth trying to cross the borderline into the Night Blaze pack, knowing well that the guards are stationed there? It’s enough that you left your quarters on a pack shutdown, you had to worsen the situation by doing that.”
“I had to help the alpha!” I declare, gaining a reaction other than the anger he has been portraying for a while now to me.
“What alpha?” he looks confused when he asks that. “Alpha Simon?”
I disagree by shaking my head. “No,” I say. “Alpha Reid.”
He proceeds to give me a once-over and perhaps unconsciously takes a step backward. What was that all about, I wonder.
“What do you mean you helped Alpha Reid? How could Alpha Reid be here? Are you making things up now just to justify the wrong you did today?”
“Do I look like I’m lying? If I was, I would not bring up something as huge as that on the table. Except there’s no table here,” and I find myself wondering how I managed to come up with such a ridiculous end of thought.
It wasn’t until I looked in Bradley’s face did I realize I was being the most unserious in a serious situation. “Sorry,” I apologize.
“Explain to me better what you were saying.”
“Alpha Reid was here. And with what I found out, he had no idea how he got here. So before the guards could catch up with him, I had to help him escape back to his pack. At least before that, I was able to get the information about his pack. Do you know that they might be going through the same situation as us?”
“Did I ask to know what is up with his pack? Judging from what you said now, you told him something about the pack’s issue,” He takes a few steps toward me after that. “What I want to know is how stupid you can be sometimes,”
I do not know whether to frown or do anything else because it was strange that he had to call me stupid straight to my face. That was more like a violation to me.
“I don’t get how you think sometimes, Kira. You found the alpha of a rival pack in here and the next thing you do is get yourself into trouble just to help him? How stupid can you be? Where does your loyalty even lie? To this pack? Or to the Night Blaze?”
If I had thought that the discussion between Bradley and me would result in this, then I would have thought otherwise. I was expecting him to understand but in the space of a minute or two, he has called me stupid twice.
“My loyalty has always been with the Green Dales. Why would you think that it would be with another pack? I only did what I did to get him out of trouble because his being here was unforeseen. And I know that.”
“You know nothing!” he snaps at me. “Did you think... Did it even cross your mind that he might have been here to spy on the pack? Did it? I’m sure it did not. And that is why you fell an easy prey by giving him information that you should not have. Let me tell you something you know nothing about. Being a girl with a spirit wolf doesn't make you a good judge of character. No, it doesn’t. It comes with maturity and it very well shows now that you haven’t gotten to that stage.”
No word could come out of my mouth. Instead, they transform into liquid that was threatening to seep out of my eyes.
I have never been this hurt. Never. The words he just said to me were like multiple swords being thrust into my body and I cannot even handle the impact. This is the most emotionally damaged I have ever been in my life.
“When I told you about my secret,” I sniff to push back the tears that want to come out forcefully, “I did that because I thought you would understand me better than anyone else even though someone else found out before you did. What I never expected is that you would one day use it against me just like you did now. And so soon? It hasn’t even been too long since I told you yet you decided to use it against me just because you think I was naive enough to get myself into trouble for someone that doesn’t deserve it. At least there were better ways for you to scold me than hurting me with your words.”
I watch him run his hand through his hair as he turns to the side. I just have to hold it in lest I ball my eyes in front of him. I don’t want him to see me shed those tears. No, he will not.
“Look, I'm sorry. I—” he starts to say but I cut him off without the need to snap at him.
“You don’t need to apologize. What’s there to apologize for? Am I not the stupid one anymore?” and I shake my head. “When I opted to save Alpha Reid, I did not do it because I was naive. I did it because I found out there was a lot to his situation that you can’t understand. You should have asked me first before concerning me like that,”
I say my piece and then walk out on him. I haven’t even walked too far away when the tears start to roll down my face without care.